A dog owner has been left heartbroken after a mistake by the shelter meant she could not travel with her family.
Steph Arauz-Marin, 26, was born in Guatemala, but moved to Florida with her parents over a decade ago.
When she moved to Barcelona, Spain, her parents became the primary caretakers of her dog Maui, who was adopted back in 2017.
But with her parents planning on going back to Guatemala next year, Arauz-Marin and her family have been faced with a problem—rules say Maui cannot travel out of the U.S.
"We've come across issues with airlines not accepting her based on her breed," Arauz-Marin told Newsweek, explaining that they have struggled to find an airline who will let Maui fly.
When she was originally sheltered, the team didn't know what breed she was, so they guessed a bulldog and beagle mix, and put "bulldog mix" on the paperwork.
Airlines often have policies against snub-nosed pets, like bulldogs, primarily for the health of the animal themselves.
Snub-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds have shorter nasal passages and flat faces that can make breathing more challenging, especially in stressful situations like air travel.
Reduced airflow, combined with the lower oxygen levels and reduced cabin pressure in an airplane, can quickly lead to respiratory distress, meaning that a flight could become fatal for the pet.
Brachycephalic pets are also more sensitive to temperature extremes, particularly heat. The cargo holds of airplanes can experience temperature fluctuations and a lack of proper ventilation can make it even more uncomfortable for these pets.
Airlines have a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of animals in their transport, so many prohibit snub-nosed pets from flying to protect themselves and the animals.
But Maui's owners were sure that the pup wasn't in fact a bulldog mix.
"Maui isn't a bulldog mix, the shelter just guessed at what breed she was. Airlines are never any help they just tell you no or sometimes don't even answer," said Arauz-Marin.
At a loss for what to do next, she posted her dilemma on Reddit's r/rescuedogs subreddit where people started to share reactions and ideas.
"You could do a DNA test to get a better idea. I don't think that a mixed breed would be kept off a flight," suggested Reddit user Jaded-Ad7840.
While Specialist_Rabbit512 said: "Get your vet to change the records and use those instead."
"Before calling the shelter I decided to maybe post on Reddit, and I'm super happy I did," said Arauz-Marin, who then opted to speak to her vet about the papers that said Maui was a bulldog.
"I thought that'd be a struggle to get them to change it, and luckily the Reddit comments on my post made me feel more at ease that this process shouldn't be difficult," she said.
Thankfully, the vet was really helpful and quickly changed the breed on Maui's records so that she would be able to fly and relocate to Guatemala with the rest of the family.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
